Professor Ridgeway is on sabbatical in the South of France - and the whole family is along for the adventure. Susan has brought her diary to document their vacation fun, but Dumpling isn't convinced that France can compete with their house with the tower back in Midwest City. She's brought along her doll, Irene, as her little piece of home. George is just happy to have some new terrain to search for rocks. As the Ridgeways settle in, they find out that a real, live princess is staying at their hotel. But who could she be? While they search for the princess, they also begin studying French with their stern tutor, Mademoiselle - but isn't it more fun teaching her some not-so-proper English? And as Halloween and Thanksgiving roll around, the Ridgeway children decide to show France a little bit of what these holidays mean back home in America - with some unexpected results! France will never be the same after the Ridgeways.